At Lely, we develop high-tech, innovative solutions that make the lives of dairy farmers more enjoyable, sustainable, and efficient. As a Category Manager Mechatronics, you play a key role in this mission by enabling supplier innovation and selecting and connecting the right partners to our mechatronic solutions. These are suppliers who deliver on time, within budget, and according to the highest quality standards, ensuring business continuity.
In this role, you act as the vital link between suppliers and internal stakeholders such as R&D, Mechatronics Engineering, and Operations. You ensure that sourcing activities optimally support system performance, total cost of ownership, and sustainability throughout the entire product lifecycle. Within your category, you are end-to-end responsible for sourcing and contracting complex mechatronic components and systems, fully aligned with the category strategy and technology roadmap. You work closely with Engineering and Integrated Supply Chain colleagues to integrate procurement early in the product development cycle and to drive joint innovation with suppliers.
A key element of this position is broadening and deepening the team’s knowledge of mechatronics. You focus on electromechanical components and systems such as actuators, sensors, motors, cable harnesses, and control units, as well as the related production and assembly techniques. By further developing this technical expertise, you contribute to well-informed sourcing decisions that strengthen product performance, reliability, and innovation.
Your main responsibilities:
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Develop and execute the category sourcing strategies to drive business objectives and continuous value creation;
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Lead and oversee the end-to-end strategic and operational management of the designated category and supply base;
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Monitor market trends and technological developments within mechatronics and proactively adjust sourcing strategies and supplier selection;
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Execute sourcing and contracting for NPI projects in line with category and business needs, including supply risk mitigation and sustainability;
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Perform supplier negotiations and establish purchasing contracts;
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Build and maintain long-term strategic relationships with key suppliers and continuously improve their performance;
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Manage supplier risks, including assessment, mitigation plans, and execution;
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Monitor and ensure supplier compliance with contracts to maximize value;
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Identify and deliver cost-saving opportunities and contribute to value engineering and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce total cost of ownership;
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Drive effective stakeholder management through cross-functional collaboration, alignment, and communication across all levels of the organization.
With your calm and structured way of working, you bring stability to the team. At the same time, you thrive on close collaboration with suppliers and feel comfortable in a role that involves frequent travel.